


A Free Lunch

by kalirush



Category: Star Trek
Genre: Food, Gen, Normal Life, Technology
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-26
Updated: 2015-04-26
Packaged: 2018-03-25 20:03:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 358
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3823006
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kalirush/pseuds/kalirush
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Who programs the replicators?</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Free Lunch

**Author's Note:**

  * For [songofsunset](https://archiveofourown.org/users/songofsunset/gifts).



René flicked his knife with satisfaction. “There,” he said. “Isn’t that beautiful?”

“Just bring it over to the scanner,” Hadiya said, rolling her eyes. “Do we really need a butter rose, René? It adds nearly 100 calories.”

“Not everyone is counting calories,” René said. “But fine, I’ll assemble a plate without. Those to whom dieting is more important than aesthetics can be appeased.”

Hadiya flicked on the scanner, noting the readings on her PADD. “I have never understood the desire to make food look like things that aren’t edible anyway,” she said, purposely needling René. 

He shook a knife at her good-naturedly. “You know that presentation is as important as nutritional content,” he said. “You could make a grey paste that met the nutritional requirements of an adult human, but who would eat it?” He carefully measured and apportioned the sauce. “Besides you, of course.”

She grinned, and turned to the computer. “But a paste would be more energy efficient. The replicators waste a lot of energy reproducing form and color.”

“But then the starship crews would be overcome with ennui, and would let their ships drift into the void,” he protested. “That is a greater waste of energy, is it not?” He presented her a plate of fish and artichokes, carefully arranged and sauced, sans butter rose. “Shall we lunch when the scanning is done? Fresh cooked food is always better than replicated.”

She tapped her PADD. “It’s the same on a molecular level, and you know it. That’s the point.”

“So you say,” he sniffed. “I am not convinced. In any case, this afternoon’s roast will take some hours to cook, so we have some time before the next batch of scanning. Besides, I happen to know that Allia in Beverages has a spare bottle of Sauvignon Blanc lying around against a favor she owes me…” He raised his eyebrows. 

Hadiya smiled again. “I suppose, if you’re going to put it that way. Anyway, then we’ll be able to update the pairing suggestions for this dish.”

“Anything for culinary science,” René agreed, hand over his heart.

“I get the plate with the rose,” she told him.

**Author's Note:**

> A while back one of my sisters suggested fic about the people who program replicators. So, in my brain they pair a chef and a programmer, and after the chef cooks a dish they scan it and program the specifications and a description. You can also program your own stuff into a replicator, but these are existing specifications to work with.


End file.
